What makes the Toronto International Film Festival really awesome is that it has been a place where history has been made, time and again. Certainly, Ellen Page hitting the TIFF red carpet with girlfriend Samantha Thomas for the first time publicly may not necessarily be history in the making, but one thing is certain: Ellen Page’s entrance with Thomas to the screening of her new film, Freeheld, was definitely a memorable one.
“I’m in love,” Ellen Page declared with a big smile at the Freeheld TIFF premiere.
Freeheld is based on the true story of Detective Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), who, when diagnosed with terminal cancer, wants to leave her pension benefits to her partner, Stacie Andree, played by Ellen Page. The story proceeds to explore Hester’s and Andree’s fight for justice, and also features Steve Carell and Michael Shannon as activist Steven Goldstein and Detective Dane Wells, respectively. The film bows nationwide October 2.
Jezebel reported that Ellen Page’s close friend and fellow thespian, Ruby Rose , saluted her friend via Instagram.
“When your best friend is the most talented, funny, beautiful, generous, humble human being it’s hard to not smile until it hurts,” Rose said on Instagram. “Ellen, I am so proud of you and will always be grateful for everything you are and will always be to me.”
Ellen Page also admitted attending the event with Thomas was significant.
She said that attending the premiere of Freeheld and “walking down the carpet holding (her) girlfriend’s hand is pretty special,” according to E! News .
Freeheld was something of a passion project for Ellen Page, who came out as a lesbian in February of last year at the Time to Thrive conference at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Time to Thrive was a conference for LGBT youth to “build… awareness and cultural competency, learn current and emerging best practices, and gather resources from leading experts and national organizations in the field,” according to the conference website.
“I’m here today because I am gay,” Ellen Page told the audience at the time, according to the Hollywood Reporter , “and because maybe I can make a difference, to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility.”
Since that time, Ellen Page has further cemented her reputation as a role model, particularly for LGBT youth, for living life authentically. Given her appearance with girlfriend Samantha Thomas at TIFF, Ellen Page is fully committed to living life as a whole, authentic person.
[Photo by Jason Merritt / Getty Images Entertainment]
